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Quickie Matzo Ball Soup
Chicken, Soup, Quick, Make Ahead Brooke Lewy Chicken, Soup, Quick, Make Ahead Brooke Lewy

Quickie Matzo Ball Soup

I feel like sharing this recipe with you is going to make every Jewish grandma tsk tsk me with shame. This is not their soup–there are no bones, no simmering, no straining. It’s the matzo ball soup I make on the fly when it’s chilly out and my kids start getting the sniffles. It truly takes about 20 minutes (and just a bit longer to make the matzo balls). The key player is Better Than Bouillon, which actually tastes good in a soup that’s so simple. I’m not sure it would work as well with boxed stock or broth, which can have a kind of chemical taste.

Matzo Balls:

When I’m making matzo balls from scratch, I make the Smitten Kitchen version. More often when I’m making dinner on a Tuesday, I turn to a box of Manischewitz (I’ve never written that word before, so many letters!) or Streits matzo ball mix, which are both very good. Follow either Deb’s or the package’s instructions. I don’t cook the matzo balls directly in the soup because it makes the cooking liquid so cloudy, but once they’re cooked, you can transfer them to the soup and refrigerate or freeze them together.

Soup:

You could leave out the matzo balls entirely and serve this up as chicken soup, adding noodles, or rice, or orzo, or anything you like. Sometimes I stir in some spinach at the end to add a little more green.

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ yellow onion, finely chopped
2 large ribs celery, finely chopped
¾-1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces (I use scissors and cut them directly onto the tray they come in)
6 cups water
2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon, ideally chicken or roasted chicken flavor
3-4 medium carrots, cut into coins
Matzo balls or cooked noodles or rice
Flat leaf parsley or dill for serving

In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and celery and stir to coat. Let cook for 5ish minutes until the vegetables turn translucent. Turn the heat to high and add the chicken. Cook, stirring until it’s mostly turned from raw pink to white (it will cook in the soup, you’re just adding more flavor). Add the water, Better than Bouillon, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then turn the soup down to a simmer and let cook for another five minutes or so until the carrots are cooked through, but not mushy. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately, or refrigerate or freeze until ready to eat. Garnish with parsley or dill.

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Crispy Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Brassicas
Vegetarian, Sheet Pan Brooke Lewy Vegetarian, Sheet Pan Brooke Lewy

Crispy Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Brassicas

I never really liked gnocchi until I learned that they could be crispy. Now I love adding them to the mix when I’m looking for a quick dinner that’s not pasta. Here I use two sheet pans, one for the veggies and one for the gnocchi, and it’s all a timing game. Ten minutes of prep and 35 minutes in the oven, mostly hands off. In these pictures I use a mix of cauliflower and brussels sprouts, but you could use any brassicas, including broccoli and kale.

1.5lbs any brassicas–broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, etc.
¼ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup (half stick) butter
2 packages shelf stable potato gnocchi
⅓ cup parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Lemon wedges for serving, optional
Red pepper flakes, optional
Pesto for serving, optional

Preheat oven to 425.

Line two sheet trays with foil.

Cut all your veggies into bite size pieces–trim and halve or quarter brussels sprouts, cut cauliflower or broccoli into bite-size florets. Transfer to one of the baking sheets and spread the vegetables out in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, drizzle honey over, and grate the garlic cloves directly over the vegetables. Add the butter to the other sheet tray. Stick both sheet trays in the oven. After about five minutes, the butter should be melted, foamy, and starting to brown. Pull that sheet out and spread the gnocchi out in a single layer, give the pan a shake and sprinkle the gnocchi with salt. Pop the pan back in the oven, and let everything cook for 20 minutes. Pull the gnocchi out again and sprinkle parmesan cheese over all and give them a stir. As you put the gnocchi back in the oven, check your vegetables. If they’re looking very brown and caramelized, pull them out. If they’re almost there, but not quite, maybe switch the position of the sheet trays.

Cook the gnocchi for ten minutes more. When the gnocchi is nice and golden and crisp, pull everything out of the oven and divide the gnocchi and vegetables between bowls. Top with more parmesan cheese, a squeeze of lemon and some red pepper flakes.

And also, just because we keep things real around here, sometimes I like this dish as is, and sometimes I wish it had a sauce. If you like things on the saucier side, skip the lemon and add a spoonful or two of store bought pesto.

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Sesame Crusted Salmon
Quick, Fish, Sheet Pan Brooke Lewy Quick, Fish, Sheet Pan Brooke Lewy

Sesame Crusted Salmon

This feels like a 90s throwback, in the best kind of way. It’s great with teriyaki sauce (I’ll include a recipe below, but you can absolutely use store bought), and I like to serve it with sushi or fried rice and a crunchy salad with cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, and peanuts.

Salmon:

2lbs salmon, cut into 4 or 5 portions
Kosher salt
1 egg white
½ cup-ish sesame seeds (it’s pretty with a combo of white and black, but anything works)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425. Place your salmon on a plate and season lightly with salt. In a bowl or dish large enough to fit your pieces of salmon, lightly beat your egg white. Spread the sesame seeds out on a plate. Dip each piece of salmon in egg white, and then gently roll it in the sesame seeds until it’s evenly coated. Place back on the plate. Transfer the salmon to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Drizzle with the oil and roast for 12-14 minutes, until it feels firm to the touch (and depending on how well done you like your salmon). Note: You can crust your salmon several hours before and let it just hang out in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it.

Teriyaki Sauce:

You could absolutely use store bought teriyaki sauce or Japanese barbecue sauce, but this sauce is super easy and lasts forever in the fridge. It’s also great on roasted chicken wings.

1 cup Sake
½ cup Mirin
½ cup Soy Sauce

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until syrupy, about half an hour, stirring occasionally. Store any leftover sauce in a jar in the fridge.

Sushi Rice:

1 cup sushi rice
Water
½ tsp kosher salt
1 ½ tsp sugar
1 Tbsp rice vinegar

In a medium pot, combine the rice, water (according to package directions), salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, cover, turn heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat, let sit for ten minutes, then drizzle rice vinegar over, stir well and serve.

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Tandoori Chickpeas
Make Ahead, Vegetarian Brooke Lewy Make Ahead, Vegetarian Brooke Lewy

Tandoori Chickpeas

This recipe is truly a make ahead dream. It’s a simplified version of an Ottolenghi recipe, so the flavors are vivid and satisfying, it happens to be vegan, and the work is so minimal. You pitch a bunch of pantry ingredients into a pot or baking dish, pop it in the oven for two-ish hours of hands off time, and you’re good to go. I like to serve it with a dollop of greek yogurt and some herbs (cilantro and/or mint) and fluffy pita or naan, or almost like chili, in a bowl with shredded cabbage, radishes, cucumber, and feta, and maybe some rice if you want to bulk it out. It’s also a great, satisfying lunch option to have hanging out in the fridge, and freezes perfectly.

One note: This is great with cherry tomatoes, but it’s also good with canned tomatoes–the one caveat is you don’t want too much moisture in there, so just use the tomatoes and reserve the juice for something else, like pasta sauce or soup. Also, you can add a few fresh or dried chiles in the mix, but I keep it mild for our family.

2 15oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
10 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1inch piece ginger, cut into coins
1 pint cherry tomatoes or 1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin or cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground coriander or coriander seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon chile flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup olive oil
Serving suggestions, all optional: pita bread or naan, rice, plain yogurt, crumbled feta, shredded cabbage, sliced cucumbers, sliced radishes, cilantro, mint, parsley

Preheat your oven to 350. In a dutch oven or oven safe baking dish with a lid (or you can use foil), combine all of the ingredients, giving them a stir. Cover and pop the pot or dish into the oven. Let cook for an hour, and then stir, breaking up the tomatoes. Cook for another 30-45 minutes.

The chickpeas are done when they no longer look soupy, the tomatoes are very broken down, and the chickpeas look rich and glossy, not like canned chickpeas sitting in tomato-y liquid.

Serve with any variety of the suggested toppings, accompaniments.

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Polenta with Shrimp and Bacon
Quick, Pork Brooke Lewy Quick, Pork Brooke Lewy

Polenta with Shrimp and Bacon

Shrimp and Grits is a classic combination. This is not that, I don’t even pretend that it is, but it’s sort of loosely inspired by that pairing. This no-stir polenta is easy peasy to make (and a great canvas for other flavors) and the bacon and shrimp come together in twenty minutes or so. I like to serve this with some steamed broccoli or broccoli rabe with a squeeze of lemon and some salt, or a simply dressed arugula salad, something bright to cut the richness.

Serves 4

Polenta:

At my first restaurant job, I used to have to make a huge batch of polenta every day. It was always a thing to boil the water and then stream in the polenta in a steady arc, whisking constantly. The method I use now is way easier, requires minimal stirring and comes out smooth and creamy every time.

1 cup polenta
4 cups water
1 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup grated parmesan In a medium pot, combine the polenta, water, and salt.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is bubbling, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer until the water is absorbed and the polenta looks creamy, about ten minutes. Give it a stir and a taste and see if it’s still grainy, or if it tastes smooth. If it’s grainy, add a splash more water and let it keep going for a few more minutes. Once everything is creamy, turn off the heat and stir in the butter and parmesan. Taste for salt. If your shrimp isn’t done yet and the mixture thickens up while you’re waiting, just add water a couple of tablespoons at a time and stir over low heat until it’s the right consistency again. You can also make the polenta in advance and reheat it adding water, milk or broth to smooth it out.

Bacon and Shrimp:

½ lb bacon, cut into half inch strips
1lb peeled and deveined shrimp
1 small shallot, finely chopped
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

While the polenta is cooking, set a large saute pan over low heat. This is one of my favorite tricks: I almost always use kitchen scissors to cut bacon directly into the pan. No need to separate the strips, they do it themselves in the heat as you stir things around. So cut your bacon directly into your pan, turn the heat up to medium, and cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, about ten minutes. Once it’s crispy, add the shallot and crushed pepper, if using, and saute for a few minutes in the bacon fat until the shallot is translucent. Add the shrimp, season lightly with salt and cook just until it’s opaque and cooked through. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.

To serve, divide polenta between four bowls and top with shrimp and bacon mixture

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Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken, Make Ahead Brooke Lewy Chicken, Make Ahead Brooke Lewy

Chicken Pot Pie

I learned to make on the fly chicken pot pie working at Delfina. We often had some leftover chicken and veggie odds and ends around and this was a delicious way to get staff meal on the table for our crew before the restaurant doors opened. I promise it’s the most streamlined version possible. I know it looks like a lot of text, but it’s just because there are a lot of options. I rarely measure, so don’t get too hung up about the quantities. I also like to serve this with a salad with an acidic vinaigrette, since it’s pretty rich.

Serves 4

¼ cup (half a stick) butter
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
2-3 ribs celery, finely chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
½ lb potatoes, any kind, cut in half-inch cubes
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into one inch pieces (or you could use rotisserie or any other cooked chicken)
¼ cup all purpose flour
3-4 cups chicken broth or water mixed with Better Than Bouillon
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 or 2 packages frozen pie dough or puff pastry

Pull your pastry out of the freezer and put it on the counter to thaw.

Make the filling: In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the butter over medium heat until it’s melted. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes along with a big pinch of salt. Cook until the onion is translucent and the vegetables have softened a bit, about 7 or 8 minutes. If you’re using raw chicken, add it here, turn the heat up a bit and cook until it’s opaque, but don’t worry too much about whether it’s cooked through (it’s going to get cooked in the broth and again in the oven). If you’re using already cooked chicken, hold off on adding it for a minute, add the flour, and mix it up so it’s evenly distributed and starts to toast up a little. Add the broth, starting with three cups. You want the chicken and veggies to be just submerged. Add more as needed. If you’re using cooked chicken, add that in here with the broth. Give everything a stir, bring to a strong simmer, and let it bubble for a minute until the sauce is creamy and has thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in the peas and the parsley.

You have some options at this point. You can pop the filling in the fridge and assemble the pie later in the day or within the next few days. You can put it in containers and freeze it for a great dinner some other night.

To assemble the pies: If you’re making the pie right away, let the filling cool slightly. You can make the pie in whatever pan you have. A standard pie plate is easy, so are 8×8 squares and a 9×13 baking dish. Line the bottom with parchment paper, lay one crust down, add the filling, top with the other, press the edges down, cut a few slits in the top (or cute shapes!). Brush with egg wash if you’d like it to be a little more golden on top. I’ve also made individual pies in mini loaf pans, I’ve used muffin tins, I’ve put the filling in oven safe bowls and just topped them with a round of puff pastry (not my family’s favorite, they like more pastry). In the spirit of making this quick and easy, I’m never too fussy about how neat it is, I just cut the pastry with scissors however I think it will fit best and call it a day. It’s always delicious and no one complains. Once the pie is assembled you can pop it back in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to bake or bake it right away.

To bake: preheat your oven to 375 and bake for 45ish minutes for a standard pie, less for smaller ones until the pastry is golden brown throughout and the filling is bubbly. You can also bake it straight from frozen, it just takes 15-20 minutes longer. AND if you fill your pie and have leftover filling, freeze it for another time!

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Kale and Tofu with Coconut
Sheet Pan, Vegetarian Brooke Lewy Sheet Pan, Vegetarian Brooke Lewy

Kale and Tofu with Coconut

This is one of my favorite sheet pan recipes. It’s from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day. She’s such a pro at interesting combinations and there’s something about the soy and coconut and kale all together. It’s so good, and healthy without feeling abstemious. I’ve also made it with broccoli, cabbage, broccolini, brussels sprouts, or a mix–whatever has to get used up.

Serves 3-4

⅓ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped into 1-inch pieces (or broccoli, cabbage, or cauliflower)
1 block extra firm tofu (10 or 14oz blocks are both fine, use your judgement for what you need to feed your people), cut into one inch cubes
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes
Rice or farro for serving

Get your rice or farro going according to package instructions. Preheat oven to 350. Line two large sheet trays with aluminum foil or parchment paper. In a large bowl (big enough to hold the kale and tofu) combine the olive oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Add the kale, tofu, and coconut flakes to the bowl and using your hands toss everything gently until the kale and tofu are evenly coated with the oil and soy sauce mixture.

Divide everything between the two sheet trays and roast 15 minutes. Take a look and see if the kale is starting to look crispy at the edges and the tofu is starting to brown on the bottom. If so, pull it out. If not, give it a stir, maybe switch which tray is on the top and bottom, and bake for another five minutes or so.

To serve, divide rice or farro among bowls and top with kale and tofu mixture.

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Bacon and Squash Salad Kale Salad
Sheet Pan, Pork, Salad Brooke Lewy Sheet Pan, Pork, Salad Brooke Lewy

Bacon and Squash Salad Kale Salad

This whole meal comes together so easily, on one or two sheet pans popped into the oven. The salty bacon and sweet squash make this wintry salad (via NYT cooking) so satisfying. You can see from my picture that I often use delicata squash instead of butternut, and I swap the pecans for pumpkin seeds (we have a nut allergy in our house). I also keep the blue cheese on the side (kids). You could add more protein by adding a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas to the squash/bacon sitution (I split it all between two sheet pans to give everything crisping room) or most recently I made the salad as is and roasted chicken thighs on a second sheet tray in the same oven to serve alongside the salad, along with a baguette.

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Chicken Tikka Masala-ish
Make Ahead, Poultry, Chicken Brooke Lewy Make Ahead, Poultry, Chicken Brooke Lewy

Chicken Tikka Masala-ish

I’ve found most tikka masala recipes kind of intimidating, between the marinating, grilling, and saucing. This wildly inauthentic version is one of my speediest dinners. In the PDF I’ve included the quick, from scratch version, and the even quicker simmer sauce option. I like to serve this with rice, naan, and simply roasted cauliflower.

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Go-To Turkey Chili
Soup, Make Ahead, Poultry Brooke Lewy Soup, Make Ahead, Poultry Brooke Lewy

Go-To Turkey Chili

This week I’m leaning into gentleness. The weather has finally gotten cooler, and also all the things are packed in—soccer tournaments and birthday parties, parent teacher conferences and marathons—and what my body is wanting right now are gentle things, gentle foods, fuel.

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